STEPANAKERT. – Canada needs to review the sale of Canadian arms and military equipment to Azerbaijan.

Majed el-Shafie, President and Founder of the One Free World International (OFWI)  human rights organization, stated about the abovementioned at a press conference Saturday in Stepanakert, the capital city of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), reported ARTSAKHpress news agency.

El-Shafie informed that Canadian MPs Tony Clement and Rachael Harder have joined the OFWI fact-finding mission to investigate reports of war crimes by Azerbaijani military forces.

He noted that the OFWI has concluded a four-day fact-finding mission to Armenia and Artsakh to investigate reports of war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces during the April 2016 war between Artsakh and Azerbaijan.

“The international community must do more to restore stability to the region and prosecute those responsible for violations of human rights and indiscriminate attacks on civilians,” Majed el-Shafie noted, in particular. “From the beheading of Artsakh Defense Army soldiers, to mutilation and indiscriminate killing of civilians, to the coordinated nature of the military activity, Azerbaijani Armed Forces posted graphic images and videos of the atrocities on social media throughout the conflict.

“OFWI will write to Canadian authorities and continue to shine a spotlight on these shocking human rights violations to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“In light of these findings, the Government of Canada needs to review the sale of Canadian arms and military equipment and halt the exports until the Azerbaijani government lives up to its international human rights obligations.”